Gauge mechanism for press brakes



June 6, 1950 R. WILLIAMSON 2,510,768

GAUGE MECHANISM FOR PRESS BRAKES Filed Oct. 15, 1947 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 ATTOEIVE'VS J1me 1950 1.-. R. WILLIAMSON GAUGE MECHANISM FOR PRESS BRAKES 2 sheets-sheet 2 Filed Oct. 15, 1947 Q mm B. 1125 2220 a $0 N241], 0ZZa 25/ JTTOE/IEYS Patented June 6, 1950 U'NlTED sures PATENT OFFICE,-

GAUGE MECHANISM Fen PRESS names LB/E inRrWfll-iamson, Montclair, N. J. APP a 'oetuber 15, 1947, Scrial'No. 780 06 1 li-Qiaims. 1:,

msinvention is directed-to gauge mechanisms for sheet metalworking presses andmore par.-

to gauge mechani-sms' ior press brakes and the general object: thereof is the provision ot a: gauge mechanismywhich is simple in arrangement, precise construction, adapt able to external, internal and edge gang-ingot practically any rormorshapeorsheet metal work p ece 'being produced by'the use of a press brake.

More specifically; an objectis to provide an improved press-brake gauging *mechanismxoi such character that one ornament the gauging mech anisms can be adjustable attached to: the press anvil or to the press brake structure by a channel, a rail or equivalent guideway connection so that-the gauging unit or units. may be shifted toaanylocus alongthe beam width of the press bed and slide in accordancewit'hthe length ofthe workizbei-ng donezandto a desired locus or loci of gauging contact with the work.

A still further object oi the present invention is the provision of a press brake gauging mechanism wherein the'gauge-arm'or stop-is adjustable toward and away from the press anvil, while also being adjustableeaihout-a vertical and about a horizontal axis.

Other objects and advantages of the invention will beapparent from theIQl-lowing detailed description of preferred iormsof emhodiment of the invention, reference being made. tothe vaccompanying drawings wherein- Fig; 1 isa plan view of a portion of the anvil dieand bed structure with one of the gauging units associated therewith; c

Fig. 2 is a side elevation of one of my gauging units and illustrating the association thereof with a cross-section of the bed, anvil die and slide die and a positioned plain work piem; and

Fig; 3 is a cross-sectional. view of the gauge moun in t k n substantially along the-line 3T3 of Fi 2.

Referring to. the drawings, TI show the gauging arm or element Ill adiustably supported by a bearing block I2. The bearing block 1.: i ,adjustably supported on a radius bar M. The radius bar I4 is pivotally supported on a slide bracket [6 slidably connected to the rear face of the press anvil l8, the anvil being secured to the bed I!) of the press brake.

The radius bar M, in the present embodiment has the forward end thereof reduced in size to firmly fit into a, bore [5 formed in the upper end of a pivot post I! which is adjustably supported by the slide bracket Hi.

The slide bracket l6 comprises a casting hav- 2 7 in a: base. portion 20 provided with a. key or toneoerormation 23a of .awidthto accu a ly ut slidably. the-slot formation, in and extendins" the-"length oi the rear face. of th -anvil l8, Bolts '23-, the heads theneoi dis osed inithe T slot-72kt, extend through the base formation 20 of bracket Hie-and nutsnzt ther on serv o clamp the brackettcthereariace oi -the anvil. Itlis understood that all of the anvil grooves. and ribs and. races are machined to be p rallel to. each other. he, die groove/.24 for bendinediezi; front groove 26 and bottom, aligning rib 21; gauge bracket groove 2| and the rear face of the-anvil.

The block-'tzandthe hub porticnoi: bracket it are splitas shown. at'tfl' and 259,; resp c vely. Clamping bolts 30 serve to-clamp the split portion or the block I2 totheradius arm 14 and clamp" ine bolts it? serve toclamp the. hub portion-0 f bracket 16 to the pivot post 11.. The ra us m llliean beswune to any desired a gular p sition, asindicated in Figure 1 and'inanr d sir d plane within the'vertical limits oi the pivot Post H and secured in such desired position by clampinescrems 311 i The. post it may be provided with a marker or line 11a aneularly isplaced 90. from thelcenter lineoi theradiusarm ,l 4 and ac r-respending or marker lfia; on th op. en of bracket 16 'will'indicate to the press operator the adjustment: for locatin the radius-arm I'll in. a position normal to therplane-of the rear face of the anvil t8.

Thehlock. l2 formed to have two split hearing portions t2asuitably bored to receive and support the gauge rod Ill. Clamping screws l3 serve to. contract the: split bearine portions In and xti'lussecure. the gauge rod: I 0; any adjusted position.

The :block HZ serves also as a support for a micrometer adjusting means for close lon itudinaltsetting of thegauge arm N. This means mayicomprise a micrometerscrew d M! extending through .a suitable bore formed'in the Door--- t-ions 12a of :the block 12 at ane -side of the gau e rod llll. A micrometer barrel All enga es the screw rod 4d and? is disposed between; the. block portions 12a. Attached to the rear end of the screw rod 40 is a split cross-arm 42 which braces the gauge rod l0 and which may be held in clamped relation thereto by a bolt 43. A marker 44 is formed on one of the portions l2a of the block l2 adjacent the graduations of the micrometer barrel 4] to indicate a zero or initial position.

Thus, an approximate setting of the gauge rod may be effected and thereafter a quick and accurate adjustment effected without the necessity of spoiling several work blanks on arriving at the proper setting.

It will be noted that in the arrangement of the elements as described, the gauge arm is provided with a right-angle ofiset end portion lOa of sufficient length to afford a gauging line or edge against which the work blank W may be brought into firm abutment. The gauge rod may be turned to dispose the ofiset portion to any desired position, or the rod may be reversed in the block l2, as indicated by the dot and dash lines in Figure 2; the disposition of all of the elements being such as to be disposed below the work sheet when any adjustments (wide sheets) are being effected.

Any number of gauging units may be used on the press, depending upon the character of the work being performed. The arrangement of the universal adjustability of the gauge rod is such that the same may be used for internal or external gauging of partly formed work pieces as well as fiat sheet stock. Several units of different settings may be used when progressive work is being performed, such as two, three and four stage bending or forming steps in different sets of dies arranged side by side along the anvil. In fact the utility of the gauging units is limited only by the extent of versatility of the operator or set-up man and the gauges may be used along the front of the anvil as well as the back thereof when desired.

I claim:

1. In a gauge for press brakes, a bracket structure adapted to be attached to a slotted vertical face of a press brake anvil or bed for longitudinal adjustment along such face, a vertically extending pivot post adjustably attached to the bracket, a radius arm fixed to the post, an adjustable block on the radius arm and a gauging arm carried by the block and mounted for longitudinal and turnable adjustment on the block.

2. In a gauge for press brakes, a gauge mechanism including a support adapted to be attached to a slotted vertical face of a press brake anvil or bed for longitudinal adjustment of the gauge mechanism along such face, a vertically extending pivot post adjustably attached to the support, a radius arm carried by the post, an adjustable block on the radius arm and a gauging arm carried by the block and mounted for longitudinal and turnable adjustment on the block.

3. In a gauge for press brakes, a gauge mechanism including a bracket support adapted to be attached to a slotted vertical face of a press brake anvil or bed for longitudinal adjustment along such face, a pivot post adjustably attached to the bracket support, a radius arm carried by the post, adjustable supporting means on the radius arm, and a gauging arm carried by said means on the radius arm and mounted for longitudinal and turnable adjustment.

4. In a gauge for press brakes, a bracket structure adapted to be attached to a slotted vertical face of a press brake anvil or bed for longitudinal adjustment along such face, a vertically extending pivot post adjustably attached to the bracket there being indicator marks on the post and bracket, a radius arm fixed to the post and said marks serving to facilitate setting of the arm in a position normal to the plane of said vertical face of the press, an adjustable block on the radius arm and a gauging armca'rried by the block and mounted for longitudinal and turnable adjustment on the radius arm.

5. In a gauge for press brakes, a gauge mechanism including a support adapted to be attached to a slotted vertical face of a press brake anvil or bed for longitudinal adjustment of the gauge mechanism along such face, a vertically extending pivot post adjustably attached to the support, a radius arm carried by the post, an adjustable block on the radius arm, a gauging arm carried by the block and mounted for longitudinal and turnable adjustment on the block, and micrometer means carried by the block and attached to the gauging arm for effecting fine adjustments of the gauging arm along the radius arm.

6. In a gauge for press brakes, a bracket structure adapted to be attached to a slotted vertical face of a press brake anvil or bed for longitudinal adjustment along such face, a vertically extending pivot post adjustably attached to the bracket, a radius arm fixed to the post, an adjustable block on the radius arm and a gauging arm carried by the block and mounted for longitudinal and turnable adjustment on the block, said gauging arm having a rightangle gauging section.

LA RKIN R.'WILLIAMSON.

REFERENCES CITED UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 364,259 Keene June 7, 1887 383,390 Everson May 22, 1888 438,222 Bertsch Oct. 14, 1890 594,004 Glass Nov. 23, 1897 950,175 Hotchkiss Feb. 22, 1910 1,127,525 Rungev Feb. 8, 1915 1,187,517 Freeze June 20, 1916 1,480,522 Ferguson Jan. 8, 1924 1,831,124 Koster Nov. 10, 1931 1,867,922 Nelson July 19, 1932 1,997,672 Bath Apr. 16, 1935 2,064,607 Hirtz Dec. 15, 1936 2,122,221 Valiquette June 28, 1938 2,429,387 Buchhein Oct. .21, 1947 FOREIGN PATENTS Number Country Date 121,921 Great Britain Jan. 9, 1919 

